Canada overwhelmed the Springbok womens rugby team 50-20 in Pretoria but the South Africans gained some valuable experience and showed real fighting spirit in the 2nd half.
The Canadian women are ranked second in world rugby and provided an ideal yardstick for the Springboks as they prepare for the world cup in England later this year.
Canada completely dominated the opening half and led 26-3 at halftime.
The Springboks were more competitive in the second half and scored three tries boosting their confidence in their world cup preparations.
In other rugby news, the New Zealand mens side opened their international rugby campaign at home in Dunedin with a narrow 31-27 victory over an inexperienced French side.